Zain Retherford (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The Zain Train keeps on rolling ... and picking up honors along the way.
On top of all the awards and titles Zain Retherford has earned this past season, the Nittany Lion mat champ has been selected as Male Student-Athlete of the Year for 2017, Penn State announced Wednesday.
It's the second straight year Retherford has earned the honor, having been named Male Student-Athlete award for the 2015-16 school year as well.
What's more, another wrestling winning streak is kept alive, as Retherford's selection as PSU Male Student-Athlete of the Year marks the sixth consecutive year that one of head coach Cael Sanderson's wrestlers has earned the award. David Taylor won the award in 2012, followed by Ed Ruth in 2013, then Taylor again in 2014, Matt Brown in 2015, and Retherford in 2016 and 2017.
This latest honor caps off yet another incredible year for Zain Retherford on and off the mat. The Benton, Pa. junior was crowned 149-pound champ at the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, along with earning the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler award, and being named NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler for the entire 2016-17 season. Retherford also won the Big Ten title at 149, along with Outstanding Wrestler honors. Just last weekend, Retherford became a 2017 U.S. World Team Trials champion in freestyle. For these athletic accomplishments and more, Retherford was honored with the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's top collegiate wrestler ... as well as being named InterMat Wrestler of the Year.
Retherford also demonstrated winning performance in the classroom by being named 2017 Academic All-Big Ten, 2017 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District (at-large), 2017 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American (at-large), and NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) National All-Academic Team.
Penn State also named Steph Lazo, women's lacrosse All-American, as the school's Female Student-Athlete of the Year.
Retherford and Lazo are now in contention for the Big Ten Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year. Retherford will be going up against Kyle Snyder who was named Ohio State Male Athlete of the Year earlier this week.
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